Every month during the season, we take one day to donate 7% of our sales to people who do good in our ski community. For March, we’re putting the spotlight on National Ski Patrol.
If you’re a skier, you probably know about ski patrol. Not only do they set up ropes, open terrain, and keep the mountain safe, but they’re your go-to folks who administer emergency medical care and get folks safely off the mountain. We often think of them as badasses—and that’s because they are! We’re stoked to be able to support their mission to keep the mountains and slopes we love safe.
What’s National Ski Patrol all about?
NSP is the greater organization that different mountains partner with to train and provide resources to their professional and volunteer patrollers. They have a deep history. NSP started back in 1938 as a service organization to help folks on the slopes as skiing was just starting to gain popularity. Ski areas were lacking any sort of emergency services to help folks with ski related injuries, and NSP stepped up to help.
Famously, they helped train and recruit the 10th Mountain Division, the legnedary group of infantry developed in World War II to fight in the mountains.
As ski areas evolved, ski patrol has developed into a profession, and NSP has evolved to provide education, resources, and professional development to patrollers. Training includes avalanche rescue, search and rescue, risk management and public education, specialized medical response in their Outdoor Emergency Care certification, and of course, specialized emergency transport with tobaggons and other equipment.
NSP not only works at large mountains like Winter Park and Loveland, but nordic centers and bike parks in the summer.
Learn more about all the great work they do here.
